Vladimir Putin is set to send his top negotiator to Washington in a bid to win back the favour of Donald Trump, who is reportedly angry at the Russian autocrat.
Washington officials have acknowledged that Putin is resisting attempts to strike a ceasefire, and discussed what economic or diplomatic punishments could push Russia closer to a deal, the sources said.
It comes following Mr Trump’s explosive reveal that he was “p***** off” with Putin and would look to unleash oil tariffs on Russia if they did not take peace talks seriously.
Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s Kyiv-born and US-educated envoy, will meet with Mr Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff this week, Reuters reported.
Responding to the reports on X, Mr Dmitriev said: “The resistance to US–Russia dialogue is real—driven by entrenched interests and old narratives. But what if improved relations are exactly what the world needs for lasting global security and peace?”
On Tuesday, two senior Washington sources told Reuters that a peace deal does not seem imminent, despite US efforts.
Meanwhile, half of the US Senate - including 25 Republicans and 25 Democrats - has united to propose sanctions on Russia if it refuses to engage in good faith negotiations with Ukraine.
Key Points
- Russia violating ceasefire - Ukraine hands dossier of evidence to US
- In pictures: Aftermath of Russian missile strike on Kryvyi Rih that killed 4
- Putin envoy to visit Washington for Witkoff meeting
- Who is Putin's negotiator and what will he discuss?
Trump praises Ukraine and Russia's 'good cooperation'
03:51
,
Arpan Rai
Donald Trump has hailed “good cooperation” between Russia and Ukraine as he underlined his desire to stop the war.
Speaking from the White House as he announced tariffs on US imports of goods from around the world, Mr Trump said: "We're going to get it stopped."
He added: "It's a senseless war that would have never happened if I was president and it shouldn't be allowed to go on.
“And I think we've been given good cooperation by Russia and by Ukraine, but we have to get it stopped.
"It's humanity. It's humanity. It's a terrible thing."
Ukraine marks three years since Russian forces pushed out of Kyiv region
03:01
,
Alex Croft
Three years ago, the Defense Forces drove the enemy out of Kyiv region. The russians attempted to swiftly capture the capital but shattered their ambitions against the resilience of the Ukrainian soldiers and the unity of Ukrainian society.
— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) April 2, 2025
At the same time, with the liberation… pic.twitter.com/0vQ21xjIRG
Visit to Washington by Putin envoy is 'possible', says Kremlin
02:01
,
Alex Croft
A US visit by Vladimir Putin’s envoy Kirill Dmitriev is “possible”, the Kremlin said on Wednesday.
Contacts between Moscow and Washington are continuing, a Kremlin spokesperson added.
Reuters reported that Dmitriev is expected in Washington this week for talks with Donald Trump's administration.
Ukrainian women take on new roles as men are drafted to war
01:00
,
Alex Croft
Ukrainian women are taking jobs once reserved for men, who are being drafted to the front lines in the war with Russia - from driving tractors to working in coal mines.
Kateryna Koliadiuk - a 19-year-old Ukrainian agronomy student - spotted an ad seeking women to enrol in a tractor driving course and decided to try.
But the industrial vehicle was huge and complex, and she wasn’t sure she could operate it.
“In the beginning I was so scared. In the beginning I couldn’t do this,” she said. She now drives with authority, her manicured fingers resting at the wheel.
Read more here:
One killed and infant injured in Russia's overnight attacks on Ukraine
00:00
,
Alex Croft
At least one person was killed and several injured, including an infant and a 7-year-old boy, in Russia's overnight drone attacks on Ukraine, regional officials said early today.
A 45-year-old civilian was killed and two injured in a strike on a settlement near the frontline in the Zaporizhzhia region, the governor of the southeastern Ukrainian region said on his Telegram channel.
An infant, a child and six other civilians were injured in a Russian drone attack on Kharkiv, regional officials there said, in what seemed to be the latest in a series of bombings of the city not far from Russia's border.
Kharviv hit by Russian drone strikes for an hour
23:47
,
Barney Davis
Russian forces unleashed an hour-long barrage of drones on Kharkiv, Ukraine's second city, late on Wednesday, triggering a number of fires but causing no casualties in the second such attack in the course of the day, the regional governor said.
"In the space of just one hour, the enemy deployed 17 (Iranian-designed) Shahed drones," Oleh Syniehubov wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
"Most of the strikes were in the Kyiv district. Local fires broke out. Fortunately, there were no casualties,"
The same district had come under attack earlier in the day, with officials reporting five people injured.
Kharkiv withstood Russian assaults in the first weeks of Moscow's February 2022 full-scale invasion, but did not fall into Russian hands.
Russia violating ceasefire - Ukraine hands dossier of evidence to US
23:31
,
Barney Davis
Deputy Head of the Ukrainian President’s Office, Ihor Brusylo, spoke on national television to say they have handed evidence to the US about Russia violating a
"The energy ceasefire... which Ukraine and the United States agreed upon, was violated by the Russian side. All the necessary information was transferred to the American side. I think the reaction will not be long in coming, because even American partners who were diplomatically disposed towards the possibility of ensuring such a ceasefire are running out of patience," he said.
According to the official, all evidence confirms that Russia is not interested in a ceasefire or in bringing the war to an end.
"I hope international partners will not delay anything, and more resolute measures will still be taken against the aggressor state, which pursues its insidious policy despite the agreements reached during the negotiations," Brusylo stressed.
Zelensky says Ukraine's Nato membership never included in minerals deal
23:01
,
Alex Croft
Volodymyr Zelensky has said that a minerals deal that Ukraine and the US are negotiating doesn't mention his country's Nato membership in the future.
"As for this agreement and the Nato question, there is no mention of Nato in this agreement, and there never was," Mr Zelensky said, confirming earlier reports.
"A decision (regarding the deal) will be made in the coming days."
His remarks come a few days after a source in the presidential office told the Kyiv Independent that Ukraine is “not tying" the minerals deal to Nato.
In pictures: Aftermath of Russian missile strike on Kryvyi Rih that killed 4
22:26
,
Barney Davis
Trump now objects to European push to buy weapons locally
22:00
,
Alex Croft
Officials from the Trump administration are now urging their European allies to keep buying American-made arms – just weeks after Donald Trump asked the EU to take responsibility for its own defence and security.
Five US sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that the US has made outreach to its EU allies amid recent moves by the European Union to limit US manufacturers' participation in weapons tenders.
According to two of the sources, US secretary of state Marco Rubio said any exclusion of US companies from European tenders would be seen negatively by Washington, which those two sources interpreted as a reference to the proposed EU rules.
One northern European diplomat, who was not part of the Baltic meeting, said they had also been recently told by US officials that any exclusion from EU weapons procurements would be seen as inappropriate.
Shortly after taking office, Mr Trump urged European allies to spend more on defence and take greater responsibility for their own security, and suggesting that his commitment to Nato is not absolute.
Watch: Trump ‘p***** off’ at Putin over disparaging Zelensky comments
21:01
,
Alex Croft
Two arrested in Russian plot to blow up Lviv police station
20:29
,
Alex Croft
Two people have been arrested after allegedly plotting to blow up a police station in the western city of Lviv on Russian instructions, Ukrainian authorities said.
The suspects were carrying out the “instructions of a Russian representative in exchange for a monetary reward”, Ukrainian prosecutors said on Telegram.
They “arrived in Lviv and retrieved explosives hidden in a bag at specific coordinates”, authorities said. “The defendants were set to plant the concealed explosives in an administrative building at a Lviv police station as part of their prearranged plan.”
One of the perpetrators was a 22-year-old woman and resident of Kyiv who had been looking to ear “easy money” through Telegram channels.
After recruitment by Russian intelligence she was tasked with a "test" assignment, posting Russian propaganda leaflets around Kyiv, Ukrainska Pravda reported.
Trump must see through Putin’s stalling tactics over Ukraine ceasefire, Germany says
20:00
,
Alex Croft
Donald Trump must not be misled by Vladimir Putin’s “stalling tactics” to delay peace in Ukraine, outgoing German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock said during a visit to Kyiv.
"At the upcoming meeting of Nato foreign ministers, we will make it clear to the American side that we should not engage with Putin's stalling tactics," the 44-year-old Greens leader said in a statement released after her arrival in the Ukrainian capital.
Mr Putin is "feigning readiness to negotiate but is not moving one millimetre from his position", she added.
Only international pressure can stop Putin's terror - Zelensky
19:35
,
Barney Davis
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Russian terror can only be stopped with pressure from international partners after a missile strike on Kryvyi Rih killed four civilians.
"A targeted Russian missile strike on Kryvyi Rih. All necessary services are on site, working to mitigate the consequences of the shelling and to help people. Some people are wounded, and they are receiving medical assistance. As of now, it is known that, tragically, four lives were claimed by this strike, all of them civilians. My condolences to their families and loved ones," he said on Telegram.
Zelensky stressed that everywhere in the world, such strikes are called by the same name - terror.
"What separates us all from at least a complete and unconditional cessation of strikes is the lack of Russia's consent to end the war, and only the world's pressure can ensure such consent," Zelensky said.
Mapped: Russia advance slows in Donetsk as Ukraine launches counterattacks
19:31
,
Alex Croft
Watch 'key' fighter pilot shoot down drones
19:20
,
Barney Davis
Nighttime combat in the skies: Fighter pilot with call sign Denfix took down two Shaheds.
— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) April 2, 2025
Denfix, a MiG-29 pilot, intercepts russian cruise missiles and attack drones. With over 20 aerial kills, he’s a key player in Ukraine’s air defense. Watch him in action. pic.twitter.com/J6lOviTwkW
'Russia wants to continue fighting' - Putin biographer
19:00
,
Alex Croft
Rebekah Koffler, a former DIA intelligence officer who specializes in Russia’s war strategy, told Fox New that Putin’s goal with his latest conscription drive is to prolong the war.
"There’s no ceasefire and no peace plan between Russia and Ukraine to be had," said Koffler, the author of a best-selling book "Putin’s Playbook."
"What President Trump seeks is regretfully, unachievable. Putin's goal is to keep fighting, in order to compel Ukraine to capitulate.
"Now that Germany and France are considering to deploy reassurance forces into Ukraine, Putin is factoring in those numbers, so he is increasing his force's posture, to deter such a deployment or failing to prevent it by force."
Russia has initiated its largest military draft in 14 years ahead of possible spring offensive
18:29
,
Alex Croft
Putin has called up 160,000 men as part of the country’s bi-annual conscription drive as Russia seeks to beef up its military ranks.
According to the legislation, citizens aged 18 to 30 will be called up for mandatory military service through June 15.
The spring draft marks the largest conscription campaign since spring 2011, when 200,000 men were called up for service. Last year, 150,000 men were called, following 134,500 in 2022.
Ukrainian secret service arrest two alleged spies
18:26
,
Barney Davis
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) say they have detained a man and a woman acting as spies for Russia on suspicion of attempting to carry out a bombing on a local police station office.
The SBU reported that the device, disguised as a fire extinguisher, was taken from a hidden cache based on coordinates provided by Russian handlers from the GRU.
According to SBU, a 22-year-old woman from Kyiv, was recruited via Telegram looking for “easy money” and initially tasked with distributing Russian propaganda leaflets in the Ukrainian capital.
After completing her first “test” assignment, she was allegedly told to travel to Lviv to carry out the attack. She also recruited an acquaintance to assist her in blowing up the administrative building of the local district police department, said the SBU.
Security services say the attackers also planned to install a hidden camera to broadcast the explosion’s impact to their Russian handlers.
The SBU said it “exposed both agents in advance, documented their crimes, and detained them ‘red-handed’ as they approached the police unit with explosives.”
Both suspects have been charged with high treason under martial law, a crime punishable by life imprisonment with property confiscation.
Fighting increases despite ceasefire talks
17:58
,
Alex Croft
Despite negotiations for a ceasefire, March saw a sharp increase in combat clashes along the frontline.
The number of clashes rose from 3,274 in February to 4,270 in March, bringing the total for 2025 to 12,631 so far, according to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.
Russian forces have also significantly escalated their use of guided aerial bombs against Ukrainian positions.
In March, approximately 4,800 such munitions were deployed, an increase from 3,370 in February.
Four dead after Russian missile strike on Kryvyi Rih
17:53
,
Barney Davis
The death toll from a Russian missile strike on Kryvyi Rih has risen to four, with three others injured.
Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the Kryvyi Rih Defense Council, reported the attack on Telegram.
"Rescue operations are ongoing. A massive fire has broken out," Vilkul wrote.
"Unfortunately, as of now, the death toll has risen to four," Vilkul updated on Telegram.
A support center for affected residents will be set up in front of a store near the World War II military equipment monument.
Earlier reports indicated that Russia had targeted one of the city's industrial facilities with a ballistic missile.
News analysis | Trump’s ‘anger’ at Putin over Ukraine peace deal delay is just play acting
17:23
,
Alex Croft
World affairs editor Sam Kiley writes:
Donald Trump is peeved. His officials are starting to spin that his plans for almost instant peace in Ukraine may take a lot longer, while Vladimir Putin’s business envoy heads for the White House, supposedly to make amends.
Yet what it truly reveals is that the 47th president continues to be played by the Kremlin.
Trump has unleashed a trade war, expressed colonial designs on two Nato members, scrambled Ukraine’s defensive war plans, shown public contempt for Europe and set about the pillars of American democracy with a sledgehammer.
Trump has shown a remarkable ability to interpret Moscow’s deepest desires and to deliver on them.
That the US president is now saying he is “pissed off” with Putin and is considering – considering – increasing tariffs and sanctions on Russia, is play acting.
Russia and Ukraine trade accusations of energy facility attacks
16:49
,
Alex Croft
Russia and Ukraine accused each other of launching new attacks against each other's energy facilities on Wednesday, in violation of a US-brokered halt on such strikes.
Both sides said they were providing details of the alleged violations to the US, which persuaded Moscow and Kyiv to agree to the limited truce last month as a potential stepping stone towards a full ceasefire.
Russia's defence ministry said Ukraine had conducted drone and shelling attacks in the western Kursk region that cut off power to over 1,500 households.
In the Russian-held part of Ukraine’s Luhansk region, the state gas company said that a Ukraine drone strike on a gas distribution station had left more than 11,000 customers around the town of Svatove with limited access to gas.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy said a Russian drone hit an energy substation in Sumy region and artillery fire damaged a power line in Dnipropetrovsk, cutting off electricity to nearly 4,000 consumers.
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is impatient with both sides to move faster towards ending the three-year war.
Russian missile fired at 'civilian infrastructure': city official
16:43
,
Steffie Banatvala
A Russian missile attack on the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih on Wednesday killed at least three people, local officials reported.
The head of the city military administration said Russia has fired a ballistic missile at a "civilian infrastructure facility".
In pictures: Putin meets regional chief in Moscow
16:17
,
Alex Croft
Russian missile kills three in Kryvyi Rih
15:53
,
Alex Croft
Three people have been killed after a Russian missile hit an enterprise in the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, the regional governor said.
At least one person was injured, he added on Telegram, while the attack sparked fire.
'Russia's position holding up ceasefire' - Zelensky
15:46
,
Alex Croft
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said that he had been sharing information with the United States. He posted on X on Tuesday: “We have shared all information regarding Russia’s violations in the energy sector — there were strikes, and today again in Kherson, a Russian drone targeted an energy facility and equipment — deliberately and purposefully.
“Part of the city was left without electricity. We insist that every such violation must be documented and receive a response from our partners. It is precisely these small details that add up to Russia’s major delays in the diplomatic process.
“The unconditional cessation of strikes proposed by the United States is not being implemented solely because of Russia’s position.”
Nato countries pledge more than £16 billion military support to Ukraine since start of 2025
15:16
,
Alex Croft
Nato countries allies have pledged more than 20 billion euros (£16.73 billion) in military support for Ukraine in the first three months of the year, secretary-general Mark Rutte said on Wednesday.
Foreign ministers from the alliance meet in Brussels on Thursday and Friday to discuss further support for Ukraine against Russia's three-year-old invasion.
All you need to know so far on Wednesday
14:54
,
Alex Croft
If you’re just joining us now, here’s everything you need to know so far on Wednesday:
- Senior Russian official Kirill Dmitriev is set to visit Washington this week, where he will likely discuss peace in Ukraine, the return of US companies to Russia, rare earths, energy prices, prisoner swaps and other topics with Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.
- The Kremlin did not confirm the visit but said it was “possible”, adding that contacts between Moscow and Washington are continuing.
- Russia killed one person and injured at least 10, including three children, in an overnight drone attack on Ukraine. Around 74 drones were launched including 14 at the northeastern Kharkiv region, where most of the injuries were recorded. 41 drones were shot down.
- Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of damaging energy facilities in the Sumy and Dnipropetrovsk regions, cutting power to 4,000 people. Both countries had agreed to a halt on energy infrastructure strikes - but they have both accused each other of breaching this deal.
- Russia shot down 93 Ukrainian drones, 87 of which were destroyed over the Kursk region, Moscow said. Dozens of people were evacuated from an apartment building in the Russian city of Kursk after it was hit by falling drone debris, the regional governor said.
- Donald Trump’s pick to become America’s most senior military officer has emphasised the importance of military support for Ukraine. During his senate confirmation hearing, Lieutenant General Dan Caines said US assistance “improves Ukraine's position at the negotiating table and deters Russia from further aggression”.
- Elsewhere in the senate, 25 Republicans and 25 Democrats - making up half of the senate - banded together to propose sanctions on Russia which would be imposed if it refuses to engage in good faith negotiations with Ukraine.
- Two people were arrested in an alleged Russian plot to blow up a police station in Lviv. The suspects had been offered money to carry out the act.
Trump must see through Putin’s stalling tactics over Ukraine ceasefire, Germany says
14:31
,
Alex Croft
Donald Trump must not be misled by Vladimir Putin’s “stalling tactics” to delay peace in Ukraine, outgoing German minister Annalena Baerbock said during a visit to Kyiv.
The US president showed the first signs of frustration with his Russian counterpart over the weekend, telling NBC News he was “p***** off” and “very angry” with Putin over the failure to reach an agreement with a ceasefire - before threatening to unleash oil tariffs on Moscow.
Paying a final visit to Kyiv as Germany’s foreign minister - before a new government takes office with CDU leader Friedrich Merz at the helm - Ms Baerbock said she would raise the issue with US secretary of state Marco Rubio during a meeting of Nato foreign ministers this week.
"At the upcoming meeting of NATO foreign ministers, we will make it clear to the American side that we should not engage with Putin's stalling tactics," the 44-year-old Greens leader said in a statement released after her arrival in the Ukrainian capital.
Read the full report:
Corruption officers expose $18million embezzlement scheme in Ukraine's defence ministry
14:13
,
Alex Croft
Anti-corruption officers in Ukraine have exposed a $17.8 million embezzlement scheme in the defence ministry, Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) has said.
The funds were embezzled during food procurement for the Armed Forces between 2022 and 2023, and have led to charges being brought against a former head of department within the Ministry of Defence.
Food supplies for the army were arranged through pre-assembled “food kits” taken from a selection of 409 items - but only 10 per cent of those products were regularly ordered, NABU said according to Ukrainska Pravda.
Other items such as spices and berries, were very rarely due to their seasonal nature.
“This system allowed suppliers to manipulate prices – artificially inflating the cost of high-demand products while lowering prices for unpopular or seasonal products (such as cherries or apricots in winter).
“At first glance, there were no violations, as the total price of the kit remained unchanged. However, potatoes, supplied in thousands of tonnes, cost a fortune, while seasonal berries and fruits, which were rarely ordered, were priced at mere pennies."
Ukraine $10billion short in funding needed for recovery efforts - PM
13:46
,
Alex Croft
Ukraine is has come up $10 billion short in what is needed for recovery efforts in 2025, Kyiv’s prime minister Denuys Shmyhal said on Wednesday.
Kyiv needs $39.3 billion in international support this year and its partners have confirmed their commitment to covering this amount, Mr Shmyhal said.
But so far the overall shortfall is nearly $10 billion, he said after the 13th meeting of the Steering Committee of the Ukraine Donor Platform.
"This year, we consider the key areas of joint work of the Ukraine Donor Platform to be budget support, sustainable financing for infrastructure, housing and energy recovery, as well as economic development and investment attraction on the path to the EU,” he said.
In pictures: Zelensky visits wounded troops in Dnipro
13:40
,
Alex Croft
Ukrainian records 176 clashes with Russian troops, 64 near Pokrovsk
13:26
,
Alex Croft
The Ukrainian military recorded 176 clashes with Russian forces over the past day, 64 of which took place on the eastern Pokrovsk front.
Vladimir Putin’s forces have been steadily advancing near Pokrovsk, a strategic Ukrainian town which serves as a supply hub for other areas of the frontline. Russia has aimed to cut supply lines to and from Pokrovsk to other Ukrainian-controlled areas.
Clashes were also recorded on the fronts in Kharkiv, Kupiansk, Lyman, Toretsk, Kursk and others.
The grinding war of attrition in eastern Ukraine has seen Russia send large masses of troops charging towards stretched Ukrainian defences, claiming incremental territorial gains at the cost of large manpower losses.
Watch: Sam Kiley visits Kherson where Ukrainian civilians are being targeted by Russian drones in near-daily attacks
13:12
,
Alex Croft
Dozens of people evacuated from Kursk building struck by drone debris, official says
12:59
,
Alex Croft
Dozens of people were evacuated from an apartment building in the Russian city of Kursk following a Ukrainian drone attack, a regional official said on Wednesday.
"As a result of the attack of enemy drones on Kursk, there is damage to an apartment building in the city centre," the acting governor of the Kursk region, Alexander Khinshtein, said on Telegram.
At least 60 people were evacuated from the building which was hit with drone debris, he said. "Fortunately, there are no casualties."
Ukraine has not yet commented on the attack, the size of which remains unclear.
In pictures: Abandoned town in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine
12:44
,
Alex Croft
Comment | Putin has been playing Trump like a cheap violin
12:29
,
Alex Croft
Such is the Trump Tower-sized self-conceit of Donald J Trump that for weeks – if not months – he could not see what virtually the whole of the rest of the world could: Vladimir Putin was playing him like a cheap violin.
Trump, seemingly mesmerised by the Russian leader, gave his friend everything he wanted: dominance in Ukraine, aside from a carve-out for US mineral interests; a Russian zone of influence in Europe; the abandonment of Nato and other allies. All of that in return for the Russians scaling back their nuclear arsenal and giving the Americans a free run at acquiring Greenland and Canada (even if they are not Russia’s to give away and won’t ever happen).
That looked to be the kind of grand bargain Trump was looking for, but Putin overplayed his hand.
Associate editor Sean O’Grady writes:
US Senators push for sanctions on Russia if peace efforts delayed
12:00
,
Alex Croft
Half of the US Senate, including 25 Republicans and 25 Democrats, banded together to introduce prospective sanctions on Russia which would be imposed if it refuses to engage in good faith negotiations with Ukraine.
Led by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, the group said it would impose primary and secondary sanctions against Russia if Moscow does not engage in talks or initiated another attempt to undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty.
"The sanctions against Russia require tariffs on countries who purchase Russian oil, gas, uranium and other products. They are hard hitting for a reason," the two senators said in a statement, a rare moment of bipartisanship in a divided Congress.
"The dominating view in the United States Senate is that Russia is the aggressor, and that this horrific war and Putin's aggression must end now and be deterred in the future," they said.
Ukraine marks three years since Russian forces pushed out of Kyiv region
11:51
,
Alex Croft
Three years ago, the Defense Forces drove the enemy out of Kyiv region. The russians attempted to swiftly capture the capital but shattered their ambitions against the resilience of the Ukrainian soldiers and the unity of Ukrainian society.
— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) April 2, 2025
At the same time, with the liberation… pic.twitter.com/0vQ21xjIRG
Watch: Ukraine's firefighters battle blaze after Russian drone strike in Kharkiv
11:45
,
Alex Croft